GG: Saint Valentine's Day

["Junichi Miyazawa" <Junichi_Miyazawa@msn.com>]

Dear f_minor friends:

It was St. Valentine's Day yesterday.
Let me know your ideas about the day in general
and something to do with GG.

I happen to be translating the very first "letter" in
*Glenn Gould: Selected Letters*(p. 1):

   Dear Mistress
   Sometimes I'n as bad can be,
   I run away quite often;
   But when I give you my sad look
   I know your heart will soften.[. . . ]

As you know, it is a "Doggerel valentine written by Gould 
to his mother [Florence], at about seven years of age, on behalf of 
his dog, Nick"(footnotes).

I threw the word "Florence"into the Ottawa's database,
I found the following Valentines day cards from GG to his mother:

Valentines Day cards from:
 "the Patient"(c. 1940)
 "Love and Woofs, From the Pup"(c.1940)
 "Nicky, Chopy, Motzy and Glenn"(c.1940)
 "The Dashund and the Pekinese and Nick "(c.1940)
 "The Two Dogs"(c.1940)
 "Your Setter, Nicky"(c.1940)  #This is the one in the book.
 "Your Puppy Dog, Glenn"(1938 Feb 14)

These cards are very heartwarming, but seem strange
for Japanese people.  Because, the Japanese custom of 
celebrating the day is very different from those of Western 
countries: we regard the day for females to give *chocolate* to 
males they love.  The very Japanized custom became popular 
in the mid-1970's because the chocolate industry accelerated
and devaluated the custom only to offer young females to give 
chocolate to their male friends and colleagues.  (N.B.  Males are 
not supposed to give chocolate to females;  they are supposed
to give gifts--preferably, candies--in return on March 14, 
which is named "White Day"by the strategic candy? industry.)
Nowadays, St. Valentine's Day is a phenomenon of commercialism
in Japan.  Various consuming industries offer their products
(e.g. alchohols, ties, chiefs, etc.) for Valentine gifts.

Therefore, as we don't use cards on the day;  as Japanese 
children don't give Valentine cards to their children on the 
day (possibly, they might give chocolate), GG's cards to his 
mother seem odd to me (and other Japanese people).

According to *Longman Dictionary of English Language 
and Culture*(1992), "Saint Valentine's Day" is:
"February 14the, on which a greeting card (valentine) 
is sent to someone one loves, but usu. without giving 
the name of the sender.  Sometimes presents are 
exchanged or red roses given, as a sign of love."
(I think many Japanese people will be surprised to
read this explanation: full of unexpected information, 
particularly sending cards "usu. without giving the name 
of the sender".)

Now humble questions:

Q1.  Do you find this Longman explanation correct?
 
Q2.  Do many children (boys and girls) give Valentines 
cards to their mothers?  Do they do to their fathers?
Do adult people do the same to their parents?
Do they really do "without giving the name of the sender"?
How to pass or send to their parents?  Passing directly?
Via post office?  Leaving it somewhere in the house?

Q3.  Is it a very Gouldian humour to disguising dogs or pets 
to be a sender of the cards?

Regards, 

Junichi, Tokyo / junichi@poetic.com